Hey there everybody! Here's the forum where you can share a video or a story about a great performance that sticks out in your mind ... a favorite that you saw live in person, or on a video, or on television. Share your memorable moments here!... If you can find a YouTube video of your great performance that you can post here, please do so! Enlighten us all. I'd like to see all kinds ... a great instrumental performance, or a band, a singer/songwriter, poet, orator, comedian, opera ... whatever it is!

I decided to kick this off - appropriately enough - by sharing a video of a GREAT PERFORMANCE by a GREAT PLAYER ... playing the National Anthem ... traditionally done prior to the start of some public events.

The video is a solo electric bass performance, played by Jeff Berlin, an amazing musician who has done some of the most startling things on a Fender bass since Jaco Pastorius.

Yeah ... Jeff is a monster player! Glad you're enjoying his stuff! You should hit his MySpace page and say hello... the link there is in my first post, above.

I was first introduced to Jeff's work through the FANTASTIC "Bruford" albums that were released back in 1978, 79, and 80 ... (Allan Holdsworth/guitar and later John Clarke/guitar, Dave Stewart/keys, Jeff Berlin/Bass, and Bill Bruford/drums) Talk about a scary band ...

The music on these LPs/CDs is incredible. Jeff's playing was unbelievably strong and melodic and it really caught my ear. The list of people he's played with reads like a who's who.

1975 - 1976 were unbelievable years for fusion! In 1975 I saw Return To Forever play before an audience of about 500 people ... they were touring "Romantic Warrior"... WOW! Fireworks!

And in '76 - among other great concerts I'll mention here at another time - I got to see Stanley tour his album "School Days" - the title of the song on your video. Thanks for sharing that!!! Great stuff from three of the premier bass players out there.

Marcus Miller got the funk. For sure.

Keep it coming folks!... I want to see more great performances!!!!!!!!

Okay, I know I've posted this elsewhere - but some folks may not have seen this yet, and they should see it. It DOES meet the requirement of this forum for being a great performance by a great player...

David Sancious is a pioneering jazz fusion artist and remains one of the most highly sought-after musicians on the scene today. There're good reasons why he has backed world tours and albums for Sting, Peter Gabriel, Seal, Santana, and too many others to mention here ... obvious reasons why his signature keyboard work elevated Bruce Springsteen's early albums to another level ... why his solo albums with his ensemble "Tone" are high water marks of Jazz Fusion. These reasons should become evident when you watch this video.

(Footnote: I am proud AND GRATEFUL to have had Gene Leone mix this live concert, and very proud to have manned one of the cameras, and directed and produced this video on December 2, 2005. Thanks Geno and The "D Street Crew!")

I looked for her on the video, and she was cut out... I have that album. It's excellent!!!! Thanks.

Annette just wrote me saying she met David Sancious & his lovely wife at some parties in Woodstock.

Annette was responsible for hooking up Mike Garson, who was a Jazz pianist and working with her at the time, with David Bowie... and it turned into a 30 year collaboration.

Here's Mike Garson doing his "NOW Music" improv & then Willem Tanke doing his interpretation of a bird song by Oliver Messiaen (check out the hand roll technique!!!) Then Mike & Willem doing an improv duo. It was recorded in Amsterdam a short time ago.

Toad, that was another cool piece. I really liked the song. I wanted to see another camera shot or two after a while, but what the hey... a very funky number! I'm catchin' on to you....

Mixey, two great posts. I have seen those Bruford video clips and I never thought they'd show up here so soon! I love ya. It's probably the best video (of what little is out there) of that band, from that time. You're right, I haven't seen any of the songs she sang on in that video program ... wonder what's up with that? Maybe she was not there in the country when this gig occurred.

The Garson & Tanke thing ... LOL Garson's piano kicks ass! And Tanke's bit was interesting; the hand roll!.. (are those notes written?? lol) I have to be honest with you... his first solo piece reminded me of the random bangings I would do as a very young boy at my mother's piano before I'd had any lessons. I would sit there and just form my own goofy "chords"... some things that hit were interesting and others were horrible ... but I used to love to do that at 5 and 6 years old.

One amazing musician who is sadly no longer with us is Michael Hedges.

Hedges turned the lexicon of acoustic guitar on it's head in the early 80s with his startling approach to acoustic guitar, creating rhythm lines with the left hand via hammer-ons and pull-offs, and melodies and accents with the right hand with all manner of slaps, slides, plucks, tweaks, and you name it. Often imitated but never duplicated - his albums for Windham Hill and his solo releases pushed the confines of what could be done on guitar waaaayy out there.

I saw Michael play live many times and I miss those shows ... such a treat. Hedges was a fearless, humorous, and innovative performer. Most of the YouTube video that exists is of sketchy quality but I wanted to share one of my favorite compositions of his: "Aerial Boundaries"...

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